Go Outside & Play in New York State

Archive for the ‘Biking’ Category

This isn’t NY State related, but I can’t help but pass it on. Rich & I had a spectacular time biking the C&O Canal Trail (before it was extended into the Allegheny Passage). But, we had to pay for a guy to shuttle us and our bikes from the end point to the start. Now you can do it using an Amtrak train ride. How fun would that be?

Excitement is building for the TrailLink app, which was recently featured on the TODAY show. You can download the app from the iTunes store beginning November 15; an Android version will follow in early 2014. The app includes all the great TrailLink.com features you know and love—interactive maps, tons of photos, firsthand reviews, and detailed trail facts—plus downloadable maps for offline use and the ability to see your location on the trail.

The Town of Wilson Walkway and Bicycle Trail, is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, Supervisor Joe Jastrzemski said Wednesday.

Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey presented the check from the Niagara County Greenway Commission at the Town Board meeting. The money came from the New York Power Authority. “It really enhances our harbor and business district,” the supervisor said. “It’s a beautiful addition to the town.”

The project cost $134,000 with $90,350 coming from the grant and $43,650 from the town.

The path extends from Park Avenue, through Shore Drive to the harbor. It ties the harbor and transient boaters to local business. Jastrzemski hopes that trail will be extended to the Tuscarora State Park in the future.”We’re grateful to the Greenway Commission,” said Jastrzemski to worked with Godfrey on the grant process. “The path almost complete,” he said. “We’re working on lighting and signing.”

But gathered outside Jack’s or Better tavern on Route 316 Thursday with about 20 cyclists who wore spandex pants and brightly colored windbreakers, Mosher was eager to go on a six-mile tour of the city. “I’m new to the area, and it’s helping me get to know the area and the people,” he said.

Mosher was taking part in the 12th annual Bicyclists Bring Business roundtable and bike-around event organized by Parks & Trails New York and the New York State Canal Corporation, which teaches cities how to market to and profit from cycling tourists.

He learned about the event from his friend Paul Guerrant. “He’s new, so I’m bringing him along,” the 11-year Oneida resident said.

A frequent user of the Erie Canalway Trail, Guerrant said he was interested to learn more about the city’s network of rail trails at the previous day’s roundtable discussion, he said.

Working with Madison County planners, the Oneida Rail Trail committee has applied for a $700,000 state Transportation Enhancement Program grant to fund an about 3-mile stone-dust surface trail starting at the Canalway Trail head in Wampsville and ending just shy of downtown Oneida, said Joe Magliocca, committee president.

That’s part of the committee’s larger goal to connect as much of the city’s 11 miles of rail trails as possible while highlighting Oneida’s rich railroad history. “Bicycling tourists are always looking for a destination outside the trail, an interesting community with either historic sites or unique downtowns, not just for places to eat or to stock up on drinks,” Magliocca said.

The trick is to encourage those people to stop in Oneida with proper signage, said Patti Meakin, the city’s recreation coordinator. “Thirty-six miles from DeWitt to Rome is a New York State Park, so we’ve got that going for us, and we’re only a mile down the road,” she said, referring to the Canalway Trail. “So we need a few signs, I’d say.”

More opportunities to walk, run and bike are now available in Dutchess County with the Dutchess Rail Trail now officially open to the public.

County Executive Marcus Molinaro hosted a soft opening for trail on Thursday as county employees ceremoniously removed a barricade on the Rail Trail bridge over Route 55, Wappinger Creek and Old Manchester Road. Walkers, runners and bicycle enthusiasts dressed in their gear followed Molinaro down the trail for the first official walk.

“Today is an historic moment and one step closer to a very long path to bring the Dutchess Rail Trail to completion,” Molinaro said. “This effort began a long time ago thanks to a number of visionaries creating a beautiful linear park. This will be an attraction throughout the county.”

The final piece of the puzzle was a 743-foot bridge that was constructed in late July over Route 55 by the border of LaGrange and the Town of Poughkeepsie. The bridge connected the trail, which runs for 13 miles from the Hopewell Depot in East Fishkill to the Walkway Over The Hudson in the City of Poughkeepsie. The trail is built upon the abandoned Maybrook Line of the defunct Central New England Railway.

Molinaro said that with 2.4 million people from 42 countries visiting the Walkway Over the Hudson, they will now have an opportunity to see even more of Dutchess County by walking on the Rail Trail.

“The benefits of it are so reaching,” Molinaro said. “This really is a jewel for Dutchess County. This is an attraction to visitors, employers and tourists alike, As other governments are closing parks, we’re opening one today.”

Mary Kay Vrba, executive director of Dutchess County Tourism, said that she is hoping that the Rail Trail increases tourism in Dutchess County. She said that visitors to the county spent $475 million in 2012, an increase of 2 percent from 2011. Vrba said that the Rail Trail will attract more bicyclists from groups such as Bike New York and Hudson Valley Pedal.

“They can ride on the trail without having to deal with motorized traffic,” Vrba said. “It’s a win-win for them and us. Another benefit is people who come here will stay overnight, eat in our restaurants, and go to other venues.The outdoors is one of the things that we highlight and promote all the time.”

Rob Rolison, chair of the Dutchess County Legislature, who said he is a railroad enthusiast, agreed with Vrba that a benefit of the trail is that it will draw people to Dutchess County. He said that the Rail Trail will showcase areas of the county that people don’t normally see including both rural and urban areas.

“Dutchess County is an outdoor type of county and this addition really enhances our quality of life,” Rolison said. “People will spend money here and help with our county budget. As a government official I look at it as more than just a chance to walk, bike and run on it. It’s going to bring in tax dollars and keep Dutchess County running.”

Rolison and Molinaro both gave credit to former County Executive Bill Steinhaus whose administration spearheaded the effort to create the Rail Trail.

There are still portions of the trail that need to be completed. The county will hold another ceremony on Nov. 16 when the construction is finished to mark the official grand opening..

After adding bike lanes, city transportation planners have gone a step further to create a safer biking environment. The new tool is called a bike box.

If you drive down Ford Street and Mt. Hope Avenue, you’ll quickly notice a giant green box near the intersection. The box itself is an extension of the bike lane that allows bicyclists to reposition themselves in front of vehicles while they are at a stoplight. “It leaves a space for bikes and a lot of cars will crowd into areas where I can’t really maneuver around them,” said Esteban Buz, a UR graduate student. “If I’m trying to get over, this little green stretch gives me just enough space to get through cars so I can get into the right place if I want to turn right or left.”

Two bike boxes can be found at the Ford Street and Mt. Hope Avenue Intersection, as well West Main Street and University Avenue. A third box that does not have the green paint will soon be finished near South Goodman Street and Monroe Avenue. The city intends to see how successful the boxes are in lessening accidents, and making biking travels easier for cyclists. It chose the three intersections because there was already maintenance work being done there. And these intersections were viewed as potentially confusing or dangerous for cyclists, according to city Transportation Specialist Erik Frisch. “If it’s something that’s going to help the bikers, the drivers just have to be a little bit more patient,” said Stacy Astudillo who works near Ford Street.

• October 6 the club will climb Noonmark Mt. An almost-High Peak with spectacular views of the Great Range, near St. Hubert’s. six miles of rough terrain, 2,200 feet of gain. Steep, but slow pace. Strenuous. Contact John Barron 315-613-828-2296 or johnbarron@sympatico.ca

• October 12 the club will climb Furnace Mt. To avoid the crowds on Columbus Day weekend, we’ll climb a little mountain few know of, off the Red Tavern Road. About six miles RT and 900 feet elevation gain. Moderate. Contact Armond Spencer 315-379-1383.

• October 13 there will be an afternoon “Kids Pirate Hike” on Red Sandstone Trail. A joint event with Nature Up North. This three mile walk on mostly level ground includes a hot dog and marshmallow cook out midway along the trail (all food provided). A little known band of Pirates from the Caribbean lost their gold along this trail. Learn the legend and look for their treasure. Along the way we’ll learn about frogs, beavers, hydropower, the history of the region and more. Limited to 24 participants. Contact Blair Madore madorebf@potsdam.edu or 315-265-0602 to reserve your spot.

• October 19 climb Debar Mt. Named after Quebec native John Debar, renowned hunter and 19th century guide, start from Meacham Lake state campground through beautiful forest, past kettle holes at gentle slopes except for the final half-mile, which is quite steep. 7.4 mile RT, with over 1600 feet of climb. Strenuous. Great views to the west. Contact David Trithart 315-265-8117 or dtrithar@twcny.rr.com

• October 24 participants will climb in Malone and watch snow geese return. Not just for birders. We’ll travel to Malone to watch a spectacular evening display as the Snow Geese come back to the Salmon River for the night. It’s an easy walk in the park, We’ll plan to stop for dinner on the way home. Easy. Contact Ann Spencer 315-379-1383.

• October 25-27 there will be a Stone Valley Trail work weekend. There will be many SUNY Potsdam Students involved, therefore, we are primarily in need of crew leaders that know the Stone Valley trails, and/or have experience with trail maintenance and construction. Projects will include: trash clean-up, trail marking, bridge building, mountain bike trail construction, clipping brush, and trail maintenance. Please contact Mark Simon by October 14th simonm@potsdam.edu or 315-262-2571 if you can lead a crew or would like to participate.

• November 2 there will be a bike ride on the St. Lawrence River. We’ll try for one last bike ride along the St. Lawrence River, from a scenic overlook to Kring Point Park and back. The round trip total is 28 miles. Moderate. There are shorter options, contact the trip leader for details: Tom Ortmeyer tortmeye@gmail.com or 315-265-8219.

• November 10 there will be an annual meeting and fall pot luck will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on at the park, 17 Park St., Canton. Bring a dish to share and your own tableware. Arrive at 5 PM for supper to start promptly at 5:30. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Bill Kirchgasser, Professor of Geology, Emeritus, SUNY Potsdam, who will present “Lines, Planes, and Curves of the Adirondacks: A Geologist’s Perspective”. Contact John Barron johnbarron@sympatico.ca or 613-828-2296.

• December 7 there will be an early season ski, snowshoe, and hike at Higley Flow State Park. Kids, grandparents, and dogs are invited on our annual two to three mile romp. We’ll finish with a campfire at the Warm Brook Lean To with hotdogs, hot chocolate and marshmallows provided. Easy walk. Contact Blair Madore madorebf@potsdam.edu o r315-265-0602.

• December 14 there will be a snowshoe hike at Indian Creek. Celebrate winter with an easy snowshoe or hike of about 2 miles at Indian Creek Nature Center, just outside of Rensselaer Falls. We’ll finish with free s’mores and cocoa. A fun event for kids. We have snowshoes to loan. Level 1, easy. Dress in layers. Contact Ann Spencer 315-379-1383.

• December 14 there will be a cross-country skiing outing will be at Whiteface Toll Road. This was an annual event for the chapter for many years. Whiteface often has snow when the low country is bare. This is a very strenuous climb of five miles one-way. Ability to ski in crusty and wind-swept snow is essential. Conditions can be harsh, and participants must dress for cold and wind. Very strenuous. Contact David Trithart 315-265-8117 or dtrithar@twcny.rr.com

• December 21 climb Mt. Marcy on the solstice. At 5,344 feet this is the highest of the High Peaks. This one is for experienced winter climbers. Dress in layers, balaclava, goggles, gloves/mittens, micro spikes/crampons, snowshoes, insulated water source and a determined spirit! With a long exposed summit windchill can be big factor. Heavy snow and or high winds will cancel. Very strenuous. Contact Brian Baston 315-600-1282 or brian.b.goode@gmail.com